This photo of firefighter rescuing cat is not from Hong Kong’s Tai Po blaze
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AdvertisementHong Kong’s Tai Po fire tragedyHong KongSocietyFact-Check | This photo of firefighter rescuing cat is not from Hong Kong’s Tai Po blazeWhile pets were among those saved from the deadly fire, this photo does not show scenes from Wang Fuk CourtReading Time:2 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPWasi MirzaPublished: 11:15am, 11 Dec 2025With the rise of social media and generative AI, how much of what we see online is true? In this new series, SCMP Fact-Check, the Post investigates claims circulating online and debunks viral misinformation impacting the daily lives of Hongkongers.“A firefighter holding a cat he saved from the Hong Kong fire,” reads the superimposed text of an Instagram post from November 29.The image in the post appears to show a Hong Kong firefighter clutching a cat wrapped in a towel.A screenshot of the post with lines drawn through by the Post. Photo: Instagram/SCMP CompositeIt circulated online in the wake of the city’s deadliest fire in decades at Tai Po’s Wang Fuk Court, which has claimed at least 160 lives and left thousands homeless.AdvertisementThe photo has been shared in similar posts on Facebook and X.But the photo predates the blaze in Tai Po.InvestigationA reverse image search on Baidu found a similar photo taken from a different angle in a report by activist group Hong Kong Animal Post, published on May 24, 2024.AdvertisementSCMP SeriesSCMP Fact-Check[ 1 of 9 ]AdvertisementSelect VoiceChoose your listening speedGet through articles 2x faster1.25x250 WPMSlowAverageFast00:0000:001.25x